“How did the protest music performed by Pete Seeger empower people during the 1960s to stand against social norms when the United States was faced with multiple problems, such as the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement?”
Title
For many centuries, music has been an unwavering force in society, offering entertainment for various ceremonies and events, while also providing an outlet for creative expression. Most people see the entertainment factor in music, but fail to realize the power music has to influence social change. One way that music inspires social change is through protest songs. Most songwriters agree that protest songs are written because circumstances demand engagement and things can no longer be left unsaid (Haslam). Protest …show more content…
These songs, and many other songs written by Seeger, allowed Seeger to integrate the acknowledgment of social issues, while advocating his personal beliefs. “If I Had a Hammer” was originally written for the labor movement, but was able to spread into a myriad of movements. This song embraced the theme of constructing an ideal world by strategically using various tools that the typical working-class American used on a daily basis. The everyday items that Seeger used exposed the problems that America was facing, while also showing his audience that the cure for these problems was love. In this song, the hammer represented justice, the bell represented freedom, and love stood for acceptance (Collins). Seeger used this song as a launching point to show America his thinking that justice, freedom, and love are for everyone. In like manner, “Little Boxes,” a political satire, showcased how conformity was the American dream, but at the same time, exposed how this leads to situations becoming stagnant and reduces progress from being made in America. The conflict in this song highlights the fact that not many individuals during the 1960s were willing to change for the benefit of society as a whole. By performing this song, Seeger advocated his opinion that the citizens in America had become too …show more content…
Seeger’s political activities—communism—led him to be convicted for contempt of Congress. His leftist actions weren’t the only thing that showcased his displeasures with the course the United States was on, but his powerful songs, such as “Waist Deep in the Big Muddy” and “Where Have all the Flowers Gone?,” helped him advocate his personal beliefs to millions across the world, such as his distaste for the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War was a huge issue in America during the 1960s. America left the Vietnam War with a humiliating defeat, disturbingly high number of casualties, division between citizens, and leaders who were uncertain of what lay ahead in foreign policy (Rohn). “Waist Deep in the Big Muddy” tells the story of a military unit wading in a river in Louisiana. During this time, the captain orders the unit to continue until they are up to their necks in the water. Suddenly, the captain drowns and the sergeant instantly orders the unit to turn back to the original shore. It turns out the captain was not aware that the river was deeper with a joining stream upriver (Clark). The song is understood to be written to showcase President Lyndon Johnson as the “big fool” for the huge part he played in the Vietnam War and the casualties of innocent men who were forced to fight. The river becoming deeper symbolizes how Johnson went in over his head with
Title
For many centuries, music has been an unwavering force in society, offering entertainment for various ceremonies and events, while also providing an outlet for creative expression. Most people see the entertainment factor in music, but fail to realize the power music has to influence social change. One way that music inspires social change is through protest songs. Most songwriters agree that protest songs are written because circumstances demand engagement and things can no longer be left unsaid (Haslam). Protest …show more content…
These songs, and many other songs written by Seeger, allowed Seeger to integrate the acknowledgment of social issues, while advocating his personal beliefs. “If I Had a Hammer” was originally written for the labor movement, but was able to spread into a myriad of movements. This song embraced the theme of constructing an ideal world by strategically using various tools that the typical working-class American used on a daily basis. The everyday items that Seeger used exposed the problems that America was facing, while also showing his audience that the cure for these problems was love. In this song, the hammer represented justice, the bell represented freedom, and love stood for acceptance (Collins). Seeger used this song as a launching point to show America his thinking that justice, freedom, and love are for everyone. In like manner, “Little Boxes,” a political satire, showcased how conformity was the American dream, but at the same time, exposed how this leads to situations becoming stagnant and reduces progress from being made in America. The conflict in this song highlights the fact that not many individuals during the 1960s were willing to change for the benefit of society as a whole. By performing this song, Seeger advocated his opinion that the citizens in America had become too …show more content…
Seeger’s political activities—communism—led him to be convicted for contempt of Congress. His leftist actions weren’t the only thing that showcased his displeasures with the course the United States was on, but his powerful songs, such as “Waist Deep in the Big Muddy” and “Where Have all the Flowers Gone?,” helped him advocate his personal beliefs to millions across the world, such as his distaste for the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War was a huge issue in America during the 1960s. America left the Vietnam War with a humiliating defeat, disturbingly high number of casualties, division between citizens, and leaders who were uncertain of what lay ahead in foreign policy (Rohn). “Waist Deep in the Big Muddy” tells the story of a military unit wading in a river in Louisiana. During this time, the captain orders the unit to continue until they are up to their necks in the water. Suddenly, the captain drowns and the sergeant instantly orders the unit to turn back to the original shore. It turns out the captain was not aware that the river was deeper with a joining stream upriver (Clark). The song is understood to be written to showcase President Lyndon Johnson as the “big fool” for the huge part he played in the Vietnam War and the casualties of innocent men who were forced to fight. The river becoming deeper symbolizes how Johnson went in over his head with